Jacinda Arden on Trump, how to lead and Covid
Her style of politics was based on empathy rather than confrontation.
She's just published her memoir, A Different Kind of Power, and we sat down with her for the Ways to Change the World podcast. We spoke about what she made of the rise of governments across today's world – very different from the one she led.
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Scotsman
an hour ago
- Scotsman
Edinburgh cycle lanes may have to be ripped out due to delay in deciding whether to make them permanent
Cycling campaigners fear segregated bike lanes installed during Covid but earmarked to be kept could be ripped out after councillors postponed a decision on making them permanent. Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... A series of traffic measures in the east of the city which were first introduced under the Spaces for People programme, including cycle lanes along the A1 corridor - London Road, Willowbrae Road and Milton Road West, were due to be approved as permanent at a meeting of the council's Traffic Regulation Orders (TRO) sub-committee in May, but the decision was delayed until this month. But when the sub-committee met on August 7, it decided to postpone a decision again, until its next meeting on September 4. Willowbrae Road is one of the routes where the cycle lane may have to be removed despite a proposal to keep it | Google Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad And with the Experimental Traffic Order (ETRO) which extended the measures set to expire on October 28, officials warned there might not be enough time to process the permanent order in time and the current infrastructure would have to be removed. Lib Dem councillor Kevin Lang wanted assurances that if the cycle lanes were made permanent the current temporary bollards and kerbs - which many people have criticised as a trip hazard - would be replaced with upgraded infrastructure. And he asked how much that would cost. Council official Andrew Easson said he could not give a price because they could not do much design work on schemes until they knew whether they were to be retained. There were also similar measures in other areas of the city yet to be considered. He said: "We will look at the schemes that are going forward and prioritise where we think there is the most need to make infrastructure permanent. It may not be a case of revamping the entire infrastructure along the route. There may be certain bits where we know there have been trips or where we think there is more risk of vehicles striking infrastructure - they will be the top priority areas and we will look to roll out those areas first and then follow on, over a period of years, upgrading the infrastructure." Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Cllr Lang said: 'We have received objections on the basis of the temporary infrastructure. I'm trying to understand what certainty or clarity this committee has as to whether it can set aside those objections on the basis that the temporary infrastructure is going to change or not." Mr Easson said a budget of £500,000 a year had been set aside for renewing infrastructure. He said if there were concerns that infrastructure was likely to be struck or people likely to trip, such sites could be prioritised. "On the other hand, if you have a stretch of road that has virtually no footfall and very few people cross the road and it's a long straight bit of road, it's probably not that likely it's going to get hit by vehicles and not that likely anyone is going to trip over it." Green councillor Alex Staniforth raised the prospect of the cycle lanes being ripped out. He said: 'My understanding is that if we do not pass the permanent TRO then the temporary structures would have to be removed; and if we do pass the permanent TRO then these temporary structures will gradually be transformed into permanent structures.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad He asked officials if he was correct and Mr Easson said he was. But Cllr Lang said that answer was different from the one he had been given. He said: 'Cllr Staniforth said if we do approve this, the infrastructure will be changed and the answer to that was yes. When I asked the question 'Will it be upgraded?' it was 'Well, it might and we'll give consideration to it'. I'm still not clear on what certainty I have as to whether this temporary infrastructure will be changed or not.' Mr Easson said: 'We have budgeted £2.5m over five years to do upgrades, the intention is to spend that money. We will upgrade infrastructure, but what I'm saying is we have to prioritise how we do that and there are a number of circumstances we will regard as high priority - those things will be upgraded. 'Through that consideration there may be some areas of some schemes that we decide either don't need to be upgraded or are very low priority for upgrading and they would be further back in the programme.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad After listening to officials, Cllr Lang said he did not feel able to make a decision on the TRO. 'There's not been work done on how much it would cost, we don't know where it would happen, yet we're being asked to make a permanent decision today - I think that's an incredibly difficult things for us, to set aside objections and put faith in something that may or may not happen and which we cannot come back to at any point.' Tory councillor Phil Doggart said: 'We're giving a blanket approval to the whole ETRO when it may well be that it could be years before anything is done.' Labour's Joan Griffiths, Lib Dem Hal Osler and chair Margaret Graham also said they felt they could not make a decision. Today, Ian Maxwell from Spokes said: "I don't understand why this has become so complicated. I think there is a little bit of political game playing going on as well. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad "It was great to have these measures put in in a hurry during Covid and it's also great there has been a chance to assess them over quite a few years. "And the ones they are hoping to make permanent are useful features, so it would be very concerning if they're going to get removed just because of bureaucracy."
The Herald Scotland
an hour ago
- The Herald Scotland
Scotland's night-time economy must be safeguarded for future
A detailed plan for action, dubbed the Northern Lights Manifesto, has been tabled by The Night Time Industries Association (NTIA) Scotland, setting out no fewer than 31 'ambitious, urgent and actionable recommendations to safeguard and transform the country's night-time economy'. The many and varied proposals include the appointment of a dedicated minister for the night-time economy in the Scottish Government – mirroring appointments made by governments in other countries – and statutory duties for local authorities to create and implement their own night-time economy strategies. Proposals for financial relief and regulatory reform are at the heart of the blueprint, with the NTIA calling for immediate reductions in value-added tax (a power that rests in the hands of the UK Government) and business rates for night-time venues. The document also calls for a rethink of the 'licensing burdens' on both hospitality and accommodation providers. 'Scotland's night-time economy is not just about bars and clubs,' declared Mike Grieve, owner of the renowned Sub Club in Glasgow and Scotland chair of the NTIA. 'It is about the creative soul of our towns and cities. Without immediate and strategic government support, we risk losing the venues, voices and businesses that define Scotland's global identity. Northern Lights is a blueprint for meaningful action – and the time to act is now.' Read more: The language chosen by Mr Grieve, a respected figure on the Glasgow business scene, is emotive, and it is no surprise. The sector which Mr Grieve and his colleagues have campaigned for throughout their careers has had an arduous time since the coronavirus pandemic emerged in early 2020. Ultimately, businesses such as nightclubs and live music venues were among the last to fully reopen following long spells of Covid restrictions, but the sector's problems did not end there. A surge in energy costs that accelerated in the wake of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, an inflation crisis which has put pressure on discretionary income, and a change in consumer behaviour post-pandemic - with many people changing their socialising habits because of inadequate transport provision late at night - have left many businesses in crisis mode. Indeed, it is probably no exaggeration to say that the night-time economy in Scotland is at a real fork in the road. It seems there is a genuine risk that the sector we knew before the pandemic might never return. Of course, the businesses that make up the night-time economy are not alone in struggling at this moment in time. The broader economy is stuck in the doldrums and growth has so far been elusive for a UK Government which has made that its number one mission. We are probably beyond the point where any sector can expect to receive direct financial support from either the UK or Scottish governments, which was given to help keep businesses afloat during the pandemic. But there is plenty in the NTIA blueprint, which was authored by respected Scottish licensing lawyer Stephen McGowan, that ministers should at least give serious thought to implementing. There will be people who ask what is the fuss all about. Those of a certain vintage who no longer have close ties to the late-night economy, which can occur as people get older, might simply shrug their shoulders at its predicament. As such, it is important that organisations such as the NTIA exist to highlight its significance, both culturally and economically to Scotland, as it has emphatically done with this document. The organisation notes that the night-time economy, which spans hospitality, live music, clubs, cultural venues, bars and late-night transport, supports more than 137,000 jobs in Scotland, and generates £43.5 billion in economic value to the UK. Aside from this significant, tangible contribution, the night-time economy brings many intangible benefits to Scottish society too. Gone may be the days when people of my generation attended nightclubs on a regular basis, but that does not mean we are unaware of the importance of the late-night economy. The ability of Scotland's major towns and cities to provide a vibrant night-time scene is surely key to convincing young people to live and work in these locations, and is undoubtedly an asset when major employers in places such as Glasgow and Edinburgh are looking to attract talent which might otherwise head for Manchester or London. A thriving night-time economy is massively important to the cultural life of Scotland too, enriching the lives of people who reside here and helping with the wider effort to promote the country as a tourist destination. Just look at the fervour which has met the Oasis reunion concerts this summer as people have gathered in their hundreds of thousands to celebrate a band which, lest we forget, partly built its legend with a short gig in Glasgow live music venue King Tut's Wah Wah Hut. My time as a frequenter of late-night bars and nightclubs are probably gone for good, but I remember fondly the many nights in my student days and in my twenties when friendships were forged and achievements were celebrated. These are memories that last a lifetime, and they were all created amid the excitement that the late-night economy has to offer. It would be a crying shame if current and future generations are denied this opportunity, even though it should be acknowledged that times change and young people today perhaps do not embrace nightlife to the extent which my generation did. Ministers in the Scottish and UK governments should, at the very least, commit to meeting the NTIA, and allow the organisation to present its blueprint. Even if ministers will find it impossible to adopt every recommendation, there is plenty in the document that, if enacted, would make a significant difference to an industry of major importance to the Scottish economy.
North Wales Chronicle
3 hours ago
- North Wales Chronicle
Students receiving eagerly anticipated A-level results
Students across England, Wales and Northern Ireland are receiving grades to help them decide whether to progress to university, an apprenticeship or work. Last year, 27.8% of UK A-level entries were awarded an A or A* grade – the highest proportion outside the pandemic-affected years of 2020-22. The Covid-19 pandemic led to an increase in top A-level grades in 2020 and 2021, with results based on teacher assessments instead of exams. In 2019 – the last year that summer exams were taken before the Covid-19 pandemic – 25.4% of UK A-level entries were awarded top grades. Leaders in the education sector have warned of the possible continuation of 'stark' divides in A-level results between different regions across the country because of the legacy of the pandemic and socio-economic factors. The Education Secretary has said she will not 'stand by and accept the entrenched inequalities' that blight the life chances of many young people. The Government's plans for turning around the attainment gap between white working class children and their peers is due to be set out in the autumn. Students who are receiving their A-level and level 3 vocational and technical qualification results were in Year 8 when schools closed because of the pandemic. This cohort of school and college leavers received their GCSE results in 2023 – the first year that grading was returned to pre-pandemic levels in England. In Wales and Northern Ireland, exam regulators returned to pre-pandemic grading in 2024 – a year later than in England. Pepe Di'Iasio, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL), said A-level grades have returned to a 'consistent standard' since the pandemic and he would expect that to 'broadly continue' this year. But Mr Di'Iasio told the PA news agency: 'Unfortunately, we also expect to see the continuation of persistent inequities in terms of performance gaps between different regions and students. 'This is a product of longstanding socio-economic factors which require a much more concerted society-wide effort to fix.' He added: 'The legacy of Covid is part of this picture, with the disruption caused by the pandemic likely to have had the greatest impact on students from disadvantaged homes. 'Schools and colleges have put huge efforts into supporting these young people, but without sufficient Government action to help them, and in the face of an extremely difficult situation caused by funding and teacher shortages. 'The current Government has made the right noises but unfortunately this has so far not been matched by the improved investment in education which is so clearly required.' Lee Elliot Major, professor of social mobility at the University of Exeter, said: 'We must brace ourselves for stark divides in A-level results this year — not only between state and private schools, but also between London and other regions such as the South West and North East. 'In recent years, the gap in top grades — As and A*s, the passports to the most selective universities — has grown alarmingly, undermining efforts to widen access. 'These inequities are being driven by a toxic mix of the cost-of-living crisis, rising poverty, persistent school absence, and the long shadow of Covid. 'Unless we act, we risk locking in generational divides that will shape life chances for decades, with all our social mobility indicators now flashing red.' For many students, receiving their exam results on Thursday will also bring confirmation of university places. Last week, Jo Saxton, head of Ucas, suggested a record number of 18-year-olds could be successful in securing their first-choice university on results day. British universities are keen to recruit UK students because there is more 'uncertainty' around international students, she suggested. On the day before A-level results day, a PA sample of 129 of the UK's largest higher education providers showed there were 22,518 courses with vacancies for undergraduate students living in England on the Ucas clearing site – which matches applicants to university places yet to be filled. As of Wednesday afternoon, 18 of the 24 Russell Group universities, which represent some of the most selective UK institutions, had vacancies on courses for English residents – a total of 3,492 courses between them. Clearing is available to students who do not meet the conditions of their offer on A-level results day, as well as those who did not receive any offers. But prospective students who have changed their mind about what or where they wish to study, and also those who have applied outside the normal application window, can also use clearing. In England, T-level results will also be received by students on Thursday. Speaking on A-level results day, Ms Phillipson said: 'Every young person should have the opportunity to achieve and thrive. 'This Government won't stand by and accept the entrenched inequalities that continue to blight the life chances of too many young people, especially those from white working class backgrounds who have long been overlooked. 'We're already taking decisive action and making encouraging progress.' She added: 'Today is a time for celebration as young people up and down the country collect their exam results. 'Whether A-levels, T-levels or technical and vocational qualifications, I wish everyone the very best of luck, and offer my heartfelt thanks to the fantastic teachers, staff and parents who've supported them to this milestone.' Kevin Latham, research and policy manager at the Sutton Trust social mobility charity, told PA: 'Year 8 is a crucial time in educational and social development, and the effects of school closures during lockdown are ongoing.' He said he would be 'surprised' if there is significant improvement in attainment gaps between the South East and North East of England. 'By the time students get to their A-levels, years of disadvantage are already baked in for pupils in areas of high deprivation,' Mr Latham said. Sir Ian Bauckham, chief regulator at Ofqual, England's exams regulator, said: 'Ahead of students receiving their results we would like to recognise the valuable contributions made by their teachers who have put so much work into getting students to this important day. 'Exam results can change people's lives, and underpinning these defining moments is a well-regulated system of widely recognised and valued assessments and qualifications.' Scotland has a different qualification system and students received their results on Tuesday last week. Figures released by the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) showed that 78.4% of those sitting National 5 exams passed with grades A to C – up from 77.2% last year. For Highers, 75.9% passed with the top bands, up from 74.9% last year, and for Advanced Highers 76.7% of students achieved A to C grades, up from 75.3% last year.
